The Sahara is not well-known for its foliage.

But one tree did exist: the Tree of Ténéré. It was the last surviving member of the forest that once inhabited the region, and served as a landmark for travelers - the only landmark, really, in this vast swath of northeast Niger.

The tree was obviously getting water from somewhere, and so locals dug a well. Travelers began to come and go, and in the bustle the tree did manage to lose a limb: a truck backed into it sometime in the 1930s or 40s, knocking off one of its two main branches, and mangling its distinctive ‘Y’-shape.

But that was an accident. No one would think of intentionally harming the tree, the only one within hundreds of miles. And even another accident was nearly unthinkable - lightning couldn’t possibly strike twice.

In 1973, a drunk driver knocked over the tree once and for all. He lost control of his truck, and veering out of control in the sandy, barren desert, ran into the one and only thing there.

The tree has since been replaced with a metal pole.